falloutfanficfandomcom-20200214-history
The Legion (Barcino's Empire)
The Legion (or Barcino Legions) is the general title of the armed forces of the Barcino Empire. Like the army of the empire, it is the central point of a military-industrial complex with incredible power and international authority. Feared by foreigners and venerated by patriots, the Legion is without a doubt the most effective army in history. Founded in the 23rd century, the Legion has never stopped growing in capacity. The Legion resisted the gunpowder storms, aircraft, computers and all the new technologies that reformed the war. His incredible logistical flexibility and the mental strength of his troops, is mainly what has allowed him to persist in the course of all these developments in the world. Technically, the Legion is the political term for all Imperial armed forces. However, it popularly refers specifically to exercitus (army) and will be treated as such in most of the article. Working to defend Barcino on the ground are its legions, the Equitatus '''and the '''Praesidium Imperium. After the Mutant Cleaning Company, the traditional Barcino militia known as the Auxilia '''was disbanded. He is survived by law 1067 of '''auxillary subito (conscription) that allows the government to recruit parts of the citizenship. External to the Legion is the Praetorian Guard that serves to protect the emperor and the city of Barcino. His duties as a guard and his espionage operations distinguish him from the role of the Legion, which is the projection of national power by non-economic and non-political means. Purpose In the Constitution, the Legion has two functions: defending the citizens of the Empire and enforcing the sovereign will of Barcino on foreign powers. Far from excluding one another, these are perfectly consistent goals and achieving one of them will often lead to the success of the other. The Legion was free to impose imperial rule without limitations. Any power that could not oppose its troops, being this all foreign power, was forced to support the ambitions of the Barcino Empire. Some foreigners consider that it is a guardian of their interests and imperial citizens. Structure As an arm of the executive government, the Legion is completely at the command of the Imperator-César. Its internal leader, however, is the Generalissimo, supreme commander of the army, navy and air force. Within the army are the three divisions of professional soldiers, armored vehicles and the national guard. These work in concert in accordance with the global strategies of the Ministry of War, Cesar and Generalissimo. The professional division of the exercise consists of 70 legions organized according to almost identical designs. Its current form derives from the second Marian reforms in 2226. This reorganization emphasized the hierarchy of command and applied a strict uniformity in the armed forces. The regular unit of the army, which retains its name for several thousand years, is the legionary. More than a million of these professional soldiers have trained and fought for the Empire, assisted in logistics by numerous engineers, officers, doctors, technicians and gunners. A single legionary is a force to be reckoned with, as it is armed with expensive weapons and equipment, and has received extensive training. The standard imperial infantryman, who keeps his name for thousands of years, is the legionary. 542,180 of these professional soldiers train and fight in the Imperial Legion, assisted logistically by countless engineers, officers, doctors and technicians beyond this number. A single legionary is a force to be reckoned with, since it is equipped with expensive weapons and machinery, and has received years of intensive training. The 542,180 legionaries of the Legion are its backbone. This is an infantry force. Its small size comes from a military doctrine that emphasizes the quality over the number of soldiers. Large expenditures are channeled into the training and equipment of each legionary, and they only use the most advanced technology. The standard equipment includes laser rifles, plasma launchers, precise personal sensors and power armor. Each of the 70 legions is divided into ten cohorts '''individually composed for six '''centuries. A century is a battalion of 100 legionaries led by their centurion, ensuring that a single legion gets a total of 6,000 soldiers. The Caesar personally orders his own personal legion, separated from the 70 primary legions. This 10th legion (pronounced Legio Iota) operates independently of the Praetorian Guard and the Legion and has no other commander than the emperor himself. His soldiers are considered some of the most fearsome in the wilderness, compared to the ancient Spartans. Organization 'National Military Command' The state confers absolute control over all the armed forces to the current Emperor, the chief executive officer of Barcino and the first citizen. As the upper part of the pyramid of command (pyramidis imperia), your orders must be followed without exception. Due to the separation of most emperors from military life, their orders are generally vague and with great strategic flexibility, in the line of "keeping Tarraco above all else" or "taking the capital from the enemy". Nestled safely in the pyramid and immediately below the emperor, Generalissimo '(''Supreme Commander) is the highest military position in Barcino. He is the commander who formulates the military policy of the empire and the global strategic objectives after the emperor's contribution. Generalissimo Marcus Antonius Primus currently manages the movement of the legions around the country. As Caesar appoints a Generalissimo, he can technically appoint himself an executive action which, in the Roman tradition, amounts to declaring '''martial law. However, the act seems a simple formality for foreigners, since the imperium maius of a Caesar in peacetime still gives him maximum authority over the Legion. The civil administration of military affairs works through the Ministerium Bellicum (Ministry of War), popularly known as ministerium pacis. The Magister Militum, its administrator, manages the bureaucratic matters of maintaining a permanent army and works in close collaboration with the Minister of Defense, who manages the national guard. Despite some overlays, defenses, such as satellite weapons, are firmly under the jurisdiction of the Soldier Master. The strict chain of command of the armed forces, symbolized by the pyramid of imperia, extends from the common legionary to the Generalissimo. Any military personnel can only request orders from their immediate CO and obey the orders of senior officers or face a military court. There is little natural conflict between the duties of Generalissimo and the Master of Soldiers. The latter is dedicated to paying wages, organizing legions in peacetime and communicating military policy to the public, while ensuring that the national strategy is in line with national policy. The Generalissimo, on the other hand, decides the where, when and how of military operations at the highest level. Of course, the strategy must often be planned on a global scale, so it tends to decide strategic objectives, while its legacies and generals develop the details. 'Upper Leadership' On a provincial scale, the Legion command falls into the lap of a Legatus '(Provincial Commander). Therefore, each legatus has control of a different number of legions. The legatus Barcino is the most prestigious military office under Generalissimus. His office in Castrum Barcinolo is located within the next most involved military headquarters next to Mons Barcino (Montjuïc hill). A body of ten legions is commanded by an '''Epistrategoi '(Over-General), which specializes in specific elements of strategy for war. Some notable epistrategists are experts in amphibious warfare, aircraft coordination, intelligence management and mutant control. The famous Epistragoi Flavius Catternai can coordinate his forces via satellite communications like no other general can. Currently, there are 10 epistrategies serving Barcino in their grand strategy and working in missions. While the centurions and commanders of the legion are praised by the public, the epistrategies have the sole honor of leading a military 'triumph '''through the streets of Barcino. For this reason, the emperors and generalissimi have taken the title. Even the presence of an epistrategoi demands reverence and respect from civilians and politicians, as well as from inferior officers. For a long time it has been a standard practice for an epistrategoi to command the imperial forces during a specific battle where different branches of the army work together. This tended to make them the best ranked officials in the field. However, modern generals operate far from the front line. The command of an individual legion is delegated to a '''Dux '(Commander of the Legion or General). The term dux now refers to a specific range. Duces has the unique honor of being the lowest office that has permission to formulate new strategic objectives. As they are often the closest strategists to combat, they usually exercise more direct control than other command ranks. '''Infantry Formations A Legionary is a soldier encased in standard lorica carbonata and operating in the most direct combat. Their smallest formation is a contubernium (ten man unit). Modern contubernia each hold 10 legionaries, led on the field by a Tesserarius and his second-in-command the Decurion. Ten contubernia collect together into a single centuria (century) whose commanding officer is the prestigious Centurion. A centurion's strategic link to his contubernia are his two Optiones, one of whom - the Primo Optio - succeeds the centurion on his death. A successor position in the military, necessary to keep a consistent flow of orders, is an immutatio. COs and immutatios aren't included in the legionary count so a century comprises 100 legionaries and 23 officers. Next highest formation is the cohors (cohort) of six centuriae. Cohortes used to be arranged within a legion by a hierarchy from first to last cohort but this was phased out before the civil war. A cohort's principales (CO) is the Signiferius (Standard-bearer). he was the bearer of the symbol of his cohort, signiferio came to denote a high military rank at the beginning of the Empire. Formal duties of a signiferius for his cohort are choosing its coat of arms, creating a motto and generally distinguishing it among the empire's many legions. While rarely in the line of fire, a signiferius still risks losing communications with inferior officers through a radio blackout or technical error. In such an event, he is temporarily replaced by the senior centurion, the Primus Pilus (First Spear) until higher leaders are contacted. Though the primus pilus' century does not receive special treatment, a first spear has the highest pay grade of all the milites (infantrymen). 'Other Personnel' In addition to the basic infantry and their commanding officers, the Legion employs a number of personnel in a military logistics or support role. These form the specialized components of the Legion. Aenator '''designates the psychologist assigned to each century who acts as his moral officer. Its purpose is to encourage the esprits de corps of the troops, help them to continue fighting and remember what motivates them as individuals within the army. Aenatores train to monitor the mental states of soldiers looking for signs of trauma, stress, depression and intentions to mutiny or desert. It was officially made a position in 2234 during the Magna Cruorem. Apparently, soldiers questioned the purpose of invading defenseless populations and many refused to advance missions to destroy enemy settlements or execute prisoners. Healing in the midst of combat and between battles is provided by '''Medici Legiones (field doctors). One of the few military posts that can be filled by a non-citizen, the legionary doctors are famous for being impartial and save both allied soldiers and enemies, something that among the nations close to the Empire has meant a certain respect seeing unnecessary the death of these . The artillery '(ballista) is operated by the vital '''Ballistarii '(artillery). They are grouped in formations known as 'Manipuli '(regiment), ordered individually by a 'Duplicarius '(artillery officer). The number of regiments assigned to a legion, and the composition of those regiments, is an area of flexibility for the imperial army. Regular Legionnaires are universally trained in the operation of mortars and each commissar has his own for use in the field, but this is not so good compared to the effectiveness of dedicated gunners and heavy artillery. On the side, the Legion has thousands of men in reserve to immediately absorb the losses with replacement troops. These reserves, called '''adscripticii, are stationed in castra '(Fort) throughout the empire and can be transported to complement an agonizing legion at any time. 'Armored vehicles Before the military reforms of Aegranian in 2236, testudos '(''tanks) played only a supporting role in the Legion. No more than twenty or more were used at any given time and they were limited to strange circumstances. During all that time, the individual testudos were a force like no other on the battlefield, capable of defeating the armies and subjecting the cities to the ground. Its potential was realized by the new César Aegranus, and its presence increased. His expansions put at least one testudo in the ranks of each legion. The number of testudo per legion gradually increased to five per legion at the end of 2246. Industrial development saw the invention of electric war vehicles, fueled by batteries instead of scarce and highly valued oil. It was not until the armored vehicles were formed in their own arm of the Legion, the '''Equitatus, to allow the independent activity of an assigned legion. 'Ranks' Behold, a complete chart of military personnel as they appear by rank in the Legion: *'Generalissimus' **'Legati' ***'Epistrategos' ****'Duces' (legiones) *****'Signiferii' (cohortes) ******'Primus Pili' ******'Centurions' (centuria) ******'Duplicarii' (manipuli) *******'Primo Optiones' *******'Optiones' *******'Aenatores' ********'Tesserarius' (contubernia) *********'Decurions' *********'Legionaries' *********'reserve legionaries' *********'Ballistarii' **********'trainees Military Intelligence The Caetus Legati (Gathering of Legates) conducts large-scale decision making in the Legion, bringing together the best military minds in the state. The five Legati, the Generalissimo, emissaries from other branches, some epistrategies and, often, the Magister Militum attend the meetings. During peace, the Caetus meets weekly at the Concilium Res Militias in Rome. The positioning of legions, fleets and squadrons is done to adapt to current geopolitical relations. Modernizations of military equipment are also implemented by the Caetus. The communication between the members advances beyond any other existing installation. Instead of the common terminals for long-distance conversations, the CRM is equipped with groups of holograms that form the shape and appearance of a person for interactive communication. The effect is that all the interlocutors seem physically present. In a state of emergency, the Caetus could meet for days at a time. They could join the emperor, with whom the national and international strategy will be formulated in concert with the states allied to the Empire. Equipment Standard Issue Small Arms Special Issue Small Arms *'SIG 552 Commando' (5.56mm shortened SIG 552, used by special forces) *'SIG 510 battle rifle' (7.5mm GP-11, vintage battle rifle, used by regular forces as a DMR) *'Heckler & Koch G91 assault rifle' (5.56mm NATO, fell into imperial hands from pre-war military stocks then built in mass by reverse engineering) *'Steyr AUG assault rifle' (5.56mm NATO fell into Swiss hands from pre-war Austrian stocks) *'K31 bolt-action rifle' (7.5mm GP-11, WWII-era rifle, typically as a sniper rifle) *'Heckler & Koch MP5' (9mm submachine gun, sometimes used by regular and special forces) *'SIG MKMO submachine gun' (9mm, WWII-era SMG) *'SIG MPX' (9mm, 12.7 SIG, advanced SMG, used by special forces) *'Remington 870 shotgun' (12 gauge, pump-action shotgun used for close combat) *'''SIG 12.7mm ''Jagdpistole (12.7mm SIG, high-powered hunting pistol, sometimes carried as a sidearm) *'SIG P220' (9mm, older semi-automatic pistol, sometimes used by reservists) *'SIG P230' (compact .32 ACP pistol, sidearm used by MPs, some officers and non-combat personnel, and reservists) *'Luger P08' (WWII-era 9mm pistol, still carried as a personal sidearm by some reservists and a few officers) *'Rheinmetall AG Minigun' (4.7mm minigun, mostly used on vehicle and sometimes tripod mounts) *'Heckler & Koch L30 Gatling Laser' (heavy energy weapon, mostly used on vehicle and sometimes tripod mounts) *'RL-83 Blindicide' (100mm rocket launcher, 1950s vintage) *'FGM-199 anti-tank missile' (140mm guided anti-tank missile, used by anti-armor specialists) Armor ' Flak armour' is among the most basic forms of armour in common use by the Imperium. It is a relatively primitive form of armour, used most commonly by Imperial forces. The standard combat armor was designed to accept numerous modifications, allowing it to be adapted for specific purposes. Common material included additional reinforcement, "shadow" (which reduces its profile and signature, with a characteristic black finish), and an optional polymer upgrade that replaced the standard combat armor alloy with advanced combat polymers. The functional improvements were numerous, adapting the functionality of the armor to the profile of the mission and included special linings (fireproof asbestos, radiation resistant lead), lightweight construction, improved combat belts, melee modifications, stabilization of weapons and various customizations of the profile and the silhouette of the armor to improve performance in close combat. Most legionaries wear standard armor, a lightweight, inexpensive armor vest that is provided in bulk to the units. A bulletproof vest consists of a lightweight and flexible metal skeleton. This skeleton is then wrapped in several layers of a high-strength fabric that is the main protective component of the framework. After several layers of fabric are stuck to the skeleton, the vest receives its hardened outer layer. The same principle is used in the production of helmets and bracelets. Protections are also manufactured for knees and legs. The thermal absorption materials, applied to reduce the thermal signature of the infantry, help to remain invisible during night reconnaissance missions. Conscription The Auxilia used to be Barcino's militia, populated by the poor and non-citizens. It was an ancient practice to grant Roman citizenship to foreigners who had served in the militia but Caesar abolished this practiced in his Edict of 212. Nevertheless, many non-citizens were drawn to the militia due to the promise of high wages and this force remained a crucial component of the Barcino military years later. Despite this vital role, as technology and industry increased, so did the cost of fielding armies. With the rising cost came an increase in the effectiveness of a single active soldier. Numbers of poorly trained troops started to mean little in comparison to a small group of professionals. Nevertheless, the emperors retained the Auxilia until its abolition. While the need for a standing militia has long passed into the annals of history, the government maintains a power of conscripting citizens by the law of auxilaria subito. The proportion of males forced into service by this action of state is at the Senate's discretion but cannot exceed 25% of adult males between the ages of 16 and 40. 'Organization' Although the actual quantity of auxiliaries is a number that changed almost every year, since the Second Marian Reforms, the size of each auxiliary group was made constant. The largest grouping of the auxiliaries is the Manipulus or regiment. A single manipulus is made up of 20 alari (wings) of 500 Comensati, the base soldier within the Auxilia. This last new word derives from the Latin "comes", meaning companion, as in "companion of the military". Each manipulus would be led by a veteran soldier of the Imperial Legion, known as an Evocatus. This was meant to provide a cohesive chain of command despite the large number of potentially green recruits. Command over a single wing is given to a Dux or Praefectus Castrorum, depending on whether or not that wing will be mobile. This connects that wing either to that general's own legion or the prefect's own fort. This was another manner in which a legion could be customized and distinguished from other legions. The only legion that was never paired with any comensati was the 10st Legion of the emperor. None of these methods of organization have changed, only delegated to occasions when conscription is active. Equitatus (armored division) Military cavalry were part of the early Empire's armed forces, but this division lacked attention as it was not vital to the army as a whole. This continued to be a deficiency for the Barcino until Emperor created The Legion's Heavy Cavalry division, dubbed the Equitatus. This division's Kataphracti '''heavy cavalry proved to be nearly unbeatable on the field of battle since other armies didn't have the firepower to penetrate their thick armor. As armor and weapons technology advanced to the previous time of the Great War, the Equitatus had become dominated by its '''Celeres, or swift attack horses, counteracting the advantage firearms had over armor. In 2245, the Equitatus saw a total reform to accommodate the shift from horses to powered armored vehicles. Within a decade, cavalry were completely phased out of Barcino's military which would have a profound effect on the mobilization of armies for the next two years.. 'Organization' The Equitatus has always been divided into cohortes '(cohorts) of sizes that varied according to the type of unit that constituted its ranks. Heavier units were in less populated cohorts and lighter units in denser cohorts. Today, a cohort of tanks has a unique composition. Cohors Flagrantes I, for example, has 50 Pizarro infantry fighting vehicle while Cohors Flagrantes VI consists of 20 Leopard 2 A4 Main Battle Tank and 30 VCREC Centauro. Leading a cohort of tanks is a '''Venator '(hunter). The role of the Equitatus was and always will be that of mobile assaults, taking advantage of their speed and agility on the battlefield. By consequence, the military command has viewed its cohorts as hunting parties of sorts, seeking out weak points or targets and rapidly striking. Praesidium Imperium (national guard division) While not has highly trained as legionaries, nor with access to as advanced technology, the castellanarum (National Guardsmen) are equally as important to the empire's defense. They operate the static defenses that dot the Empire, especially walls and non-legionary bases and forts. The '''Praesidium (Imperial National Guard) however most resembles the Legion as all soldiers are professionals, though only to a degree. Despite not being as highly trained as soldiers in the Barcino Legion, the National Guard has historically seen far less deaths due to the added protection of always operating out of static defenses. The members of the National Guard are controlled by the Legatus that leads their continent of residence, through their direct control of the Praefecti Castrorum. 'Organization' There are currently 300,000 castellanarum in the Praesidium, commanded by exactly 3,000 Praefectus Castrorum, their only CO. Most Castra (Bases) are led by one Praefectus and so each is manned by 1,000 professional troops. All troops are specialized for a certain aspect of defending the base, and so the thousand men are an assortment of infantrymen, artillerymen, armored troops and operators. All bases are heavily armed and armored, often making use of electromagnetic systems for shielding and surveillance, and having upwards of 10 heavy artillery emplacements, along with at least 40 light artillery pieces and about 100 gun-emplacements along the base's walls. Except when part of a city, it is usually illegal to get within one km of a Castrum, coming within only a few hundred meters makes the soldiers no longer liable for shooting at the intruder. Furthermore, certain high-security Castra have a "shoot on sight" policy. The largest and most important Castrum is the Castrum Barcino, located in Mons Montjuit It consists of four battalions, so 4000 soldiers and is generally considered to be the foremost military base in the Empire. Founded originally in the 2216's to protect the capital, the base has been continually kept at the head of all military technologies. Rumors abound about this legendary building, including speculations on top secret research being performed there, and so it is a source of much attention in motion pictures, all in a positive light. In addition to the 4000 Castellanae and four Praefecti, thousands of members of the Munus Indicius Barcinus as well as 1 legion reside there. Given its incredibly high security, and location of importance, it has one secondary function. In the event that, gods forbid, the capital itself might be placed in danger, the entire imperial government can use it as a retreat zone and bunker. As the base is hardened against every weapon. See also *Caesar's Legion *''Military of Caesar's Legion'' Category:Post-War militaries Category:Post-War Factions Category:Barcino's Empire